The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for making pre-assembled or pre-fastened garments, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for promoting a secure engagement between fastening components of pre-fastened garments during the making of such garments.
Garments, and more particularly disposable absorbent garments, have numerous applications including diapers, training pants, feminine care products, medical garments and adult incontinence products. A typical disposable absorbent garment is formed as a composite structure including an absorbent assembly disposed between a liquid permeable bodyside liner and a liquid impermeable outer cover. These components can be combined with other materials and features such as elastic materials and containment structures to form a product which is specifically suited to its intended purposes. A number of such garments include fastening components which are intended to be secured together (e.g., pre-fastened) during manufacture of the garment so that the product is packaged in its fully assembled form.
For example, one such pre-fastened garment is a pair of children's training pants which has a central absorbent chassis and front and rear side panels extending laterally out from each side of the absorbent chassis. Each of the front and rear side panels has a fastening component thereon, such as a hook or a loop type fastener. During manufacture of the training pants, the central absorbent chassis is initially formed generally flat and then folded over so that the front and rear side panels face each other. The fastening components of the front and rear side panels on each side of the absorbent chassis are then aligned and engaged with each other to pre-fasten the training pants in its fully assembled three-dimensional form.
However, existing techniques for making conventional garments such as the training pants described above or other pre-fastened garments which engage fastening components together during manufacture are in some respects inadequate. For example, weak engagement strength between hook and loop fasteners, partial or whole separation of the fastening components during manufacture, and packaging problems resulting from poorly fastened or otherwise unfastened components are some of the shortcomings of existing pre-fastened garment making techniques. There is a need, therefore, for apparatus and methods which increase the engagement strength between fastening components while making a pre-fastened garment.